A Science Experiment Gone Horribly Wrong
by esmeralda5186
Summary: This fanfic is a detailed description of Steven's thoughts and feelings before, during, and after his fateful experiment. It includes Two Brains' and Squeaky's viewpoints as well. The day starts out very normally, but gradually becomes more creepy and intense as the story progresses. Rated K for somewhat disturbing but non-graphic content.


A Science Experiment Gone Horribly Wrong

Steven Boxleitner was humming to himself as he began setting up for his experiment. It was going to be the most fascinating and complex project he'd ever done, and his excitement gave him a wonderful sense of energy that radiated throughout his entire body. He had been planning to do it for months, but unfortunately kept getting distracted by all sorts of other obligations. Between moving into a new lair after the old one was flooded, visiting his niece down in Virginia, and devising new battle strategies for Wordgirl to use against the Butcher, he had only just finished the two helmets that would be necessary for the project. Now he had set up the machine that would connect the two helmets together, he was certain the experiment would go off without a hitch. Already, he couldn't wait to tell Wordgirl all about it once he was done; she would certainly be very impressed.

Just last week, he had purchased a mouse to use in the experiment. The store owner said no one else would buy him because of his rather nasty temper; he offered him to Steven at half-price. Never one to ignore a good bargain, and feeling a tad sympathetic for the mouse, Steven took him. He put his new pet in a small metal cage back at his lab, sat down beside him, and took notes on his behaviour for about half an hour. Indeed, Steven had never seen a more peculiar mouse in his life. Unlike other mice, Squeaky (for that was the name Steven chose for him) had no interest in the fruit or grains Steven gave him, yet he devoured all the cheese instantaneously. No matter how much cheese the scientist put in that cage, it never seemed to be enough to satisfy him. He would always squeak loudly at Steven whenever he wanted more, so much so that Steven had to run to the store simply to buy enough cheese to keep him quiet. He was constantly grumpy and irritable and never would do so much as look his owner in the eye. And when Steven tried to pet his mouse gently on the head, he nearly had his finger bitten off. It had become quite clear to the doctor why no one else had purchased him.

He certainly didn't look like any mouse Professor Boxleitner had ever seen. Squeaky was an albino mouse, with gray, angular whiskers, fur as white as snow, and eyes a dark scarlet tinged with pink. Such mice were commonly used in science experiments because few people ever wanted them as pets. _Perhaps,_ Steven pondered, _over time, he'll realize that I'm not out to hurt him and he'll become less vicious._

But he didn't have time for that. He had put off his experiment for far too long already, and he was much too excited to wait for Squeaky to warm up to him. Steven knew that once his experiment was complete, he would not only be a professor at the prestigious Fair City University; he would be a man with the ability to peer into the depths of the rodent intellect and understand their motivations, their language, their thoughts. He would be closer to understanding the mind of another being than anyone before in history. He would be a truly changed man, that much was certain.

He carefully picked up the larger of the two helmets and placed it on his head. It was made from a stainless steel colander, with many small holes in it, and had two handles on either end. There were various cables sticking out from the exterior of the device, as well as a bright orange switch to turn it on or off and a small light bulb on top. He'd attached a chinstrap to make sure it stayed secure, and had hooked the helmet up to a tube that connected it to a smaller replica of the same helmet. He picked up the second helmet, made from a thimble, and made sure to turn on both switches that activated the devices. Steven then opened up Squeaky's cage with a cautious hand, and it was only by bribing him with cheese and great patience on Steven's part that he was able to pick up his uncooperative lab partner and place the miniature helmet on his head.

He held the mouse in the palm of his hand, causing him to squeak in protest, but he remained still, too curious about what was happening to bite.

"Yes, Squeaky, when this experiment is complete, I'll be able to peer into the depths of the rodent intellect!" He exclaimed.

The mouse looked up at him with an oddly blank stare.

"I'll be able to read your mind," he clarified.

A delicious aroma suddenly aroused his attention. "Smells like my pastrami sandwich is done…." He set Squeaky down, got up and made his way to the kitchen area, not thinking to remove his helmet. Steven took the sandwich out of the microwave, grabbed a bottle of grape juice, and strolled back into the lab room.

Just in time to see an albino mouse with a thimble on his head press the infamous red button.

There was a flash of blinding bright green light, a scream of agony, the sensation of falling through a darkened tunnel with a thousand burning needles piercing his flesh, and then everything went black.

He awoke with no idea who he was, what he was doing, why he was on the floor. The man knew he must have been there for some time, perhaps a few hours. He lay there a few moments, trying to recall what exactly had happened, when it suddenly hit him like the beating of a gong and his eyes snapped open.

Steven. The experiment. The pastrami sandwich. Squeaky. The red button. Oh no.

He gingerly attempted to sit up, but he was in so much agony he could barely move without wincing. His body didn't seem to be injured in the slightest, but something told him the damage had been done deep inside, where not even he could find a means of fixing himself. As he slowly rose to his full height, he felt dizzy, and held onto the side of his lab table for support. He glanced around the room cautiously, and seeing nothing severely out of order, he took a deep breath and, ignoring the ache in his arms, removed the helmet.

A shock of thick, spiky white hair tumbled down, falling almost to his shoulders. He stared at it in horror and then pulled out one of the drawers of his lab table, seized a hand mirror, and brought it to his gaze.

The figure staring back at him was horrifying; dark scarlet eyes with the scleras bloodshot and pink, a pale, pasty complexion, white hair instead of chestnut brown, angular gray whiskers, and…..was that a brain on his head? A mouse brain…..

He suddenly let out a scream and flung the mirror away from him, as far as he could throw. It crashed against the wall and shattered into fragments.

He gave shaky breaths, his heartbeat wild and frantic, and desperately ran his fingers through his hair. Oh God, what had he _done_ …..

It was then that he began to hear the voices, soft at first, then louder and louder. One was rather high-pitched, the other oddly familiar. They seemed to be arguing. The scientist asked quietly, "Umm, who are you people?"

"HELLO, HUMAN-MOUSE SCIENTIST," answered the higher voice. "TOGETHER, WE WILL TAKE OVER THE CITY! SQUEAKY WANTS CHEESE. YOU BRING CHEESE TO SQUEAKY. SQUEAKY WILL NEVER AGAIN BE FORCED THROUGH TEST AFTER TEST FOR FOOD! SQUEAKY WILL HAVE ALL THE CHEESE IN THE WORLD!"

" _NO! You can't take over the city, you'll be sent to jail! Don't let him do this! You have to find a way to turn yourself back to normal!"_

"DON'T LISTEN TO PATHETIC NON-MOUSE DOCTOR. HE ISN'T STRONG AND VICIOUS LIKE SQUEAKY AND HUMAN-MOUSE SCIENTIST. WE MUST GO EAT CHEESE NOW!"

" _I won't let you do this, you evil mouse!"_ He recognized the second voice as Steven's. " _You have to let me go!"_

Squeaky gave a high-pitched laugh inside his mind. "SQUEAKY WILL NEVER LET PATHETIC HUMAN GO! HUMAN-MOUSE SCIENTIST WILL TURN THE CITY INTO CHEESE AND RULE IT ALL!"

"Guys! Stop it, please you're driving me crazy!" The scientist rubbed his hands against his forehead, trying to relieve a headache worse than any he'd ever had before. "I can't _focus_ with you two screaming at each other-"

" _Please, I'm begging you, reverse the experiment! You are stronger than this monster controlling you. You can make everything right again-"_

"PAY NO ATTENTION TO STUPID HUMAN VOICE. LISTEN TO SQUEAKY NOW. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE OVER THIS CITY WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, HUMAN-MOUSE SLAVE. NOW GET SQUEAKY SOME CHEESE!"

With that command came a throbbing pain so horrible, it spread throughout his entire body, and he felt as though the very core of his soul was being ripped apart. He was being dragged back to the very first moments of his consciousness, where there was nothing but pain and sorrow left in his world. When it finally subsided, he ran to the exit, not even noticing the sandwich he had dropped on the floor a mere thirty minutes before. He was confused, terrified, and unable to bear another second in this darkened, eerily familiar room where the dreams of a man had been crushed by a monster…..

He ran outside of the laboratory building with no clear idea of where he was going. The awful pain was still aching throughout his body. He turned a corner rather sharply and ran straight into a young boy with blond hair and glasses, knocking several papers out of his hands.

"I do apologize," said the child in a British accent, picking up his belongings. "I didn't see you coming around the-" He glanced up at the doctor and gasped upon seeing his bizarre appearance. He took an instinctive step backwards in fright.

 _He thinks I'm a monster,_ the man realized. He felt his cheeks heating up with rage and shame, and in one swift movement he turned around and began walking in the opposite direction as fast as he could without running. He could feel the boy's stares following him as he went.

 _He doesn't even know me,_ he thought miserably. _That kid doesn't even know who I am, and yet he's terrified of me._

 _But so what?_ The scientist thought, upon reflection. _Who cares what some random kid thinks of me? I'm stronger, faster and smarter than he is. Heck, I'm stronger and faster and smarter than practically everyone in this city! They should be afraid of me!_

A wicked grin crossed his face. _I'll make sure of it._

He put his hands in his pockets, straightened his posture, and continued to make his way down the street with a newfound confidence. He didn't know where these thoughts and feeling were coming from, but it delighted him almost as much as the thought of getting his hands on some nice, delicious cheese….

He made it almost to the end of the street when he smelled it. Ten feet to his right was a young boy eating a bag of Cheese Thingies. His grin widened. How perfect.

" _Stop, you can't do this, he's just a child!"_ Steven cried, but the man paid him no attention. He headed straight for the boy, barely noticing the other kid he pushed aside to get to it. He snatched the bag up from the boy, ignored his protests and immediately began to devour the contents. It was easily the most delicious _thing_ he had ever tasted. With every bite came a soothing relief to his headache, and a warm feeling of satisfaction within him, numbing the pain. He knew, of course, that he was wrong to take such a delicious treat from the innocent hands of a child, but if this was the descent into madness, it was his to take.

He heard a young girl's voice, "Excuse me, sir…."

The white-haired man glanced over his shoulder, and he heard her gasp in surprise as he glared at her fiercely. How _dare_ she interrupt him, a mere girl, at that!

"Doctor Boxleitner?!" She cried in alarm, staring up at him in equal parts alarm and dismay.

"Oh, hi kids," He tilted his head a little to one side and gave a horrible smile. "Doctor Boxleitner is no more, I am now...Doctor Two Brains!"

Yes, Dr. Two Brains. Not a bad name, considering he'd made it up on the spot. It suited him well.

"Oookaaayyy…." said the boy standing next to her.

Squeaky cried, "MORE CHEESE! GIVE SQUEAKY MORE CHEESE NOW!"

Two Brains answered aloud, no longer aware of the children's presence. "Yes, yes, more cheese! Good idea, second brain! Haha, cheese, cheese, CHEESE! Bwahahahahaha!"

He ran off to the city as fast as he could, desperate to get some more of that wonderful, delicious cheese. As he sprinted off, he could hear in the distance the young boy saying to the girl, "You were right, he _did_ seem a little distracted…"


End file.
